Heroism is a Family Trait
by The Purple Jade
Summary: The Titan war is over, and Percy is looking forward to a well deserved break. Of course, he wasn't expecting this... Uncle!Tony
1. Meeting Uncle Stark

Ch. 1- Meeting Uncle Stark

Warnings: none

Being seen as a hero is pretty great, I must admit. The downside is the over bearing respect that everyone (okay, most people) inevitably shower you with.

That was why now, a week since the final battle, I was somewhat relieved to be headed home.

With one final wave to the assembly that had come to see me off, I mounted Blackjack and we soared into the sky.

"Thanks Blackjack!" I called after the black Pegasus as he used my apartment building's roof as a runway.

'Don't mention it boss!'

I smiled and walked down the fire escape, an empty donut carton tucked under one arm.

"Hey mom! I-" I began, walking into the living rooms. I stopped and blinked. My mom was sitting across from a man I had never seen before, though somewhere in the deep recesses of my mind thought I should know. He had short brown hair, an interesting mustache-goaty combo, and although we were indoors, he had a pair of rose colored sunglasses on. He looked curiously at me, though he maintained an air of indifference about himself that reminded me scarily of the first time I met Mr. D. I faintly wondered if he was the wine god's descendent. Judging from the champagne bottle and glasses, it was a definite possibility. Before my mind could stray any farther, however, the man began to speak, a childish gleam alight in his eyes.

"Percy! I'm a big fan o-" my mom cut him off.

"This is your uncle, Tony. Tony, this is my son Percy." I took notice of the way she stressed the word son.

Tony offered me a hand and a cheeky smile. I set the empty donut box which I hadn't realized I was still holding on the coffee table before accepting his hand.

"Hey kid, I'm Tony Stark." He said his name as though he was expecting some reaction, but I was too busy staring at the strange blue glow coming from his chest. I knew my ADHD wouldn't let me rest until I knew what it was.

"What's that?" I asked.

He looked genuinely confused for a few seconds, until he registered what I was looking at. Then his expression changed to one of disbelief.

"You mean you don't know?"

"Should I?" Tony muttered something about teenage deprivation.

Sensing an explanation was needed, my mom suggested the practical solution to our lack of information. "Lets start from the beginning."

**Well, there it is! The first chapter. Hopefully you liked it. I've had a rough copy of this stored on my iPad for who knows how long now, and decided it was high time I finished it. So I made a bunch of revisions and Wha-la! What do you know. This popped out! I will be posting a chapter a day for a while. **

**To those of you who may be reading my other stories- know this. I have not abandoned all hope for them yet, and hopefully a wave of motivation will wash over me in the foreseeable future. **

**Anyway, before this authors note becomes longer than the actual story, please feel free to leave a review! :)**


	2. The Truth Comes Out

**Disclaimer (I forgot to do one on the first chapter. My bad.) I don't own Percy Jackson and the Olympians or The Avengers. Subsequently, the characters are not mine either.**

Once I was settled comfortably (or rather, uncomfortably as 'uncle Tony' was intruding in my personal space bubble) on the couch, my mom began to re-account the story of her's and Tony's grievous seperation.

"My parents and I were flying back from a press conference in England." She began, Tony interrupted, "I was sick and couldn't go." My mom rolled her eyes before continuing. "Anyways, at some point pre flight, the CEO to Stark industries sabotaged the plane. When we were about an hour from home, the plane crashed. Both my parents were killed, and I was never found, assumed dead."  
I interrupted, " if he's your brother, why didn't you every try to regain touch with one another?"

"That's exactly what I wanted to know!" Tony interrupted, looking pointedly at my mom.

My mom shot him a glare. He flinched and I internally shuddered- my mom's death glares were something you didn't want to be on the receiving end of.

Sighing, she continued, "at that time, with my parents deaths so fresh in my mind, I felt Tony would blame me for living while they died. I was six then, and Tony and I had our fair share of fights, as most siblings do. Anyways, the years went by and I realized he probably would have been happy just to know someone in his family was still alive. Yet, I couldn't find the courage to face him. So I lived with our mother's sister and her husband-and adopted my uncle's last name; Jackson- until I was 18. Then I set out on my own. I stayed in touch for a while, as Rose raised me as her own daughter. However, she was diagnosed with cancer and passed away unexpectedly. As I was never truly close to my uncle, I cut all attachments there after whilst keeping his surname. A few years after that I met your father, and subsequently you were born. It wasn't until about a month ago that Tony found me."

Here Tony butted in. "I bet you are wondering how I accomplished that." I stared at him blankly. he went on. "As you apparently didn't know, I just so happen to be a billionaire and a genius and subsequently I have access to a wide variety of 'tools'. It turns out for a while you were quite the wanted criminal." I winced. I didn't need to be reminded.

He went on, " I didn't get to say it before, but I'm a big fan of how you blew up the Saint Luis Arch." My mom sent him an exasperated glance, which he returned with another of his cheeky grins. "Anyways, I became interested in you, and by default I learned of your mother's existence. I did a little digging before I came to the conclusion that hey! My little sister's not dead! And there you have it. Now want to go grab some donuts?" He finished, eyeing the empty box on the coffee table.

I shrugged uneasily. After all I've been through with the life of a demigod, I'm not the most trusting of sorts. "I don't-" my mom cut me off. "That's a great idea! It'll give you and Tony a chance to bond!" She stood up and eagerly shoved us out the door, obviously taking the chance to remove Tony from her presence. I wondered how long she had been putting up with him for before I had come home.

**and end! i apologize for the whole sap-story that took up the majority of this chapter- even I admit it was a bit excessive. Anyway, if you feel so inclined, please leave a review! Till next time. :)**


	3. Donuts

Ch. 3 - Donuts

**Disclaimer: not mine. Aside from the plot that is. But everything else, unfortunately not. **

Tony was a big kid at heart, I realized. When we had managed to escape the small mob that had gathered around his car, (he said he didn't know how they found him. I felt it had something to do with the Lotus's license plates, which boldly read STARK) we took off for the nearest donut shop. This time, instead of parking directly in front, I pointed out that perhaps we could park inconspicuously in the rear.

He grinned. "Why bother if we're only in there for a second?"

He parked in one of the many available spots out front, dashed inside, and came back a moment later with a mountain of boxes, leaving a flustered-looking cashier in his wake. When I raised my eyebrows at him, he shrugged and handed the stack to me.

"To the tower!" And just like that we were off, leaving me wondering how we could possibly eat so many donuts with out Blackjack around.

**Wow! I must say I am flattered. 24 hours since I published this story, and already my inbox is swamped. You guys rock! Anyway, I thought I would reward you with two chapters instead of just one. After all, this one is rather lacking in length. I suppose you could call it a filler. Leave me some feedback- I have a very flexible outline written down, so ideas on what works and what doesn't are always appreciated. Thanks!**


	4. I get introduced to technology

Ch. IV- I get introduced to the world of technology.

**Disclaimer: you know the deal. I don't own. **

The tower was massive, just as Tony had promised. We parked the Lotus among an assortment of cars I had only heard the names of. Seeing the look on my face, Tony grinned. "Can you drive?"

I stared at him. Was he serious? "Yeah, but did you see my stepdad's Prius?"

He grimaced. "Point taken."

We made for the elevator, Tony making impressive speed regardless of the mountain of boxes teetering in his arms.

At his approach, the doors slid open soundlessly and Tony ushered me in, trying surreptitiously to peak back over his shoulders as if to make sure I hadn't damaged any of his cars.

"Not a scratch, I promise." I said.

He jumped, obviously surprised at having been caught. The sudden motion jarred the boxes perched precariously on his arms and they toppled towards the ground. My demigod reflexes kicked in immediately and I sprang forward, catching the boxes before their precious cargo could reach the floor. Seeing Tony's look of shock, I realized my mistake. No human should be able to move like that. Oops.

Silently I handed them back to Tony, who was staring at me with wide eyes and a slack jaw, obviously wondering how the Hades I had moved so quickly. He blinked, then exclaimed, "holy shit." I grinned sheepishly and scratched the back of my head.

Tony stared at me for a few more seconds before he spoke to seemingly spoke to seemingly no one. "JARVIS, tell Pepper I'm on my way up."

"Certainly sir. Should I also inform her that we have a visitor?" I jumped, a hand flying to the pocket where I kept Riptide when a bodiless British voice answered.

Tony smirked. "No, I will tell her. Thanks JARVIS."

"Of course."

Turning to me, Tony smirked. As if talking to a toddler, he said, "that's my AI, JARVIS. He runs everything here. A mechanical butler if you will." I blushed in embarrassment, remembering how Annabeth had been telling me about something similar she was designing for Olympus just a few days ago. Seeing my face, Tony patted me on my back. "Oops. I forgot you're. Technologically deprived. Don't worry. As your uncle, I will take it upon myself to enlighten you, since Sally obviously hasn't. We'll start by getting you a phone after we eat these donuts." The doors of elevator slid open as he finished, and JARVIS announced that we were on the 75th floor. Tony handed me the donuts as we stepped out and held his hands up in a placating gesture as a red headed woman stormed towards us. I gulped. Sure, she wasn't as intimidating as some of the monsters I'd faced, but I was suddenly very glad My uncle was her intended victim, not me.

"Tony, the media's have been calling all day. Apparently you were spotted exiting an apartment building with an unknown teenager.." The woman broke off when she caught sight of me. "Tony, please tell me you didn't.." She broke off again. Sensing what she was implying, Tony waved his hands submissively. "No, he's not mine. He's my sisters, and we brought donuts! Percy, meet Pepper. Pepper, Percy."

The red head -now dubbed Pepper- looked relieved. Tony gestured for me to set the donuts down on the coffee table and took a seat. Tony, braver now she had calmed, wrapped an arm around Pepper's shoulders, confirming my suspicions that there was something going on between them.

**And as promised, the second chapter of tonight. Not too cheesy I hope. I won't be updating again until Saturday, so I can have a day to read over your guys' requests (if I get any) and respond to them to my best capability. Thanks!**


	5. Don't Cross Pepper Potts

**I don't own. You know the deal.**

I was surprised at how many donuts we - or more precisely I- had eaten as, In the span of an hour, Tony filled me in about everything Stark Industries: from its origins as a weapon company, to now, where the focus was clean energy. He explained how he had been kidnapped by terrorists, who had wanted him to build weapons for them. Instead, he had secretly built a metal suit with the help of a scientist named ( which he had used to escape. Here he paused. "You know who Iron Man is, right?"

I shook my head, and watched as a look disbelief crossed his face. Regaining his composure, he turned to the red head at his side.

"Pepper, it's awful!" Tony whined. "Percy doesn't know who Iron Man is!"

Pepper rolled her eyes, and smiled apologetically at me. "Sorry about him. He's a bit egotistical, and used to being instantly recognized especially since he announced to the world he is Iron Man."

"I've noticed." I smirked. Now that I thought about it, I faintly recalled some of the Hephaestus campers talking about some mortal who had designed an awesome suit that was powered by a new element, which must be the arc reactor. Tony meanwhile was mumbling to himself. "This is worse than I thought! What kind of isolated bubble does this kid live in?"

I was tempted then to tell him, but decided against it.

More seriously he turned once again to Pepper, then sighed dramatically. "We have our work cut out for us."

**Another short one, I know. But I will make them longer! **


	6. I Don't Fly

Ch. VI- I don't fly and we meet special agent Bond.

I paled. "Nope!" I said. "Not happening. I don't fly."

Tony, clad in his Iron Man armor, blinked. "Seriously? I won't drop you, I promise. As entertaining as it sounds, I'm above that."

I shook my head again. "Nope. Not going."

He stared at me. Then it occurred to him. "Your afraid of heights, aren't you?"

"No!" I defended. "Well, maybe a little. I mean, I can stand heights, just not flying."

Tony shook his head. "Wow. A nephew who's afraid of heights. And I was going to let you inherit the company!" He joked.

"Not heights, flying." I grumble indignantly. He chuckled.

Throughout the day, as I had gotten to know Tony better, it became easier for me to think of him as family. He was easy to get along with, and pretty like able once you got past his childish behavior. Pepper however had really grown on me. She was a lot like my mom, and I knew the two would get along scarily well if they met. I held great admiration for her skill when it came to dealing with Tony in particular. She had my uncle wrapped around her finger. Said ginger appeared in the doorway. She smiled at me. "I just called Sally. You two are staying for dinner. And Tony," she turned her attention away from me to scrutinize my uncle, "this time you are not wearing your armor." She turned on her heel and re-entered the tower.

Tony glanced at me, grimacing. "I'm going to go change." He stalked off and I smirked. Yes, I definitely liked Pepper Potts.

Dinner was great. Aside from the smartly dressed guy who screamed double-o-seven brining the family atmosphere crashing to the sub digits. And here I was thinking that just for once, my life might be taking a rare turn towards normality. Silly me.

Anyway, Tony initially wanted to go out for dinner. I shifted uncomfortably, remembering the morning's incident. Pepper apparently could read minds, and she quickly shot that suggestion down, saying Tony really didn't need any rumors spread. He immediately started whining, but my mom intervened, warning him that she wanted to stay out of the media's radar for as long as possible. He stopped fighting pretty quickly there after, but I felt it had more to do with her warning glare. Tony being Tony, he couldn't understand how someone wouldn't want fame. Pepper on the other hand sent my mom a grateful smile. As I had predicted, the two got along famously.

In the end, Tony settled for dinner at home, though he didn't really have a choice. He ordered take out from a fancy little Italian restaurant called Feliciano's. The food was fantastic, though I felt guilty not making a sacrifice to the gods. I hoped they would let it slide, seeing as I couldn't go around revealing demigods to mortals. And knowing Tony, even a simple gesture such as burning food would give me away. After all, he had found my mom under very unlikely circumstances.

My mom and I were just getting ready to leave when the 007 wannabe came nocking. Or rather, JARVIS announced that his systems had been over ridden. So I guess the guy let him self in. Talk about a party crashed. He eyed me and my mom curiously, no doubt wondering what we were doing with 'the Tony Stark', but quickly shifted his attention to Tony leaving the two of us standing awkwardly.

James Bond held out a Manila envelope with an official looking seal on it which screamed 'government!' obviously intending Tony to take it. Of course, Tony had to decline, claiming he didn't like things handed to him. I snorted. He certainly didn't object to being handed donuts this morning. Pepper stepped forward and apologetically took the the folder from the man. "But I love getting handed things." She smiled. Before he could complain, she shoved the folder into Tony's hands.

We missed the rest, for my mom wisely dragged me into the elevator.

**All right! A long time since I have updated, I know. And since you asked for longer chapters, here you go! Now the plot thickens. Anyway, feel free to leave some feedback! This was as far as I originally planned out, so from here on I am going to play it by ear. A few of you wanted Thor to meet Percy. All in good time, I promise. And, without further ado I am going to give the DISCLAIMER here, at the bottom of the page. Rebel. Thanks for reading! :)**


	7. Tony Joins a Boy Band

Ch. VII Tony Joins a Boy Band

I really have to say- it didn't surprise me when Pepper informed us that the James Bond dude from last night was from the government, there to recruit my uncle for some previously-scrapped assembly to face off against some berserker. I hadn't known Tony that long, but knew him well enough to see that he wasn't really the soldier type. As a fighter and war hero myself, I know a fighter when I see one.

However, that suit of his is truly something else, and that is saying something coming from the guy who has most recently defeated the Titan Kronos, so presumably it is his ticket on board the team. Judging by Tony's latter description of his fellow 'Avengers,' my hypothesis was looking pretty accurate.

-  
My mom was extremely worried. I felt a strange, deep guilt build up inside me as I realized that she probably had been the same way when I had been off fighting the war. However, Pepper came over around noon, obviously sharing my mother's concern. The two of them went out for brunch, and though they invited me to come along, I declined, opting instead to catch the underground into downtown Manhattan.

I spent a few hours just meandering down the sidewalks, perusing window displays and dodging tourists. Eventually though, an Achille's Curse induced hunger swept over me, and I was driven to find myself a suitable lunch. With the amount of money in my pocket, it looked as though I would be going to McDonalds, for I doubted I could buy the portion I needed for twenty dollars elsewhere. I allowed my stomach to guide me, and in no time found myself at a rather dingy Micky-D's not far from the river.

I pushed open the door, a little bell ringing to announce my presence and immediately was confronted by two things- the overwhelming sent of fried food, and an awfully familiar head of shaggy black hair.

"Nico?" I wondered. My cousin wheeled, his sword half drawn from wherever he kept it. (I still couldn't figure out if it was hidden in the shadows or if he could summon it when he needed it.)

"Percy?" He blinked at me, them vanished his sword and stood awkwardly staring at me with those intense dark eyes of his.

I scratched the back of my head. "So... Can I assume you're here to get takeout for your friends...?" I let the end of my sentence run, but glanced down at the ground, sending the son of Hades a clear innuendo as to what I was implying. Immediately his face darkened, which honestly I found impressive, judging by how pale he had become recently. Absentmindedly I wondered just how much time he was spending with his father nowadays.

"Yeah. A big government related facility collapsed a few days ago, and my father suspects a god may have had something to do with it."

"So basically he wants you to have a chat with a few of the people who got squashed?"

Nico frowned at my wording, but continued. "Yeah, pretty much. He didn't say much else, but I think he is expecting something big to go down in a short time from now."

Well, that's mildly disturbing. I payed the cashier for my three double-doubles and Nico gathered his Happy Meals.

As we walked out, I began to fill him in on my previous day's experience. When I got to the part about how how Tony has been called away for some top secret 'Avengers' initiative, a look of realization crossed over Nico's face. With hot warning he grabbed a hold of my arm and shadow traveled us to a nearby cemetery, leaving part of my apatite behind. "Hold these." He shoved the Happy Meals in my arms, all seven of them mind you, nearly causing me to drop my lunch. "I've got a hole to dig."

**Disclaimer: I don't make a profit off of this story if and only if I don't own Pjo or the Avengers. **

**A/N: well guys, i admit it has been a while. Sorry bout that- life happened. Anyway, my new favorite saying is a day spent with your horse is the best cure for a bad week. Thanks for reading! I attempted to make this chapter slightly longer than previous ones, as the idea seems to be popular amongst many of you. Tell me what you think! Also, feel free again to give me a few ideas of what YOU would like to see happen. Who knows? I may take a few suggestions to heart and incorporate them into this fic. Thanks! P.s- I just made a little change for those you you have already read this chapter.**


	8. Let's Keep Things Low-Key

CH. VIII - lets keep things low-key

The last time I watched my cousin raise the dead, he had been twelve years old, and a lot less self assured than he was now. Not to mention he had been blindly following the instructions of Minos, a corrupted old fart of a ghost, who now was residing in the fields of punishment. Good riddance.

Anyways, after Nico chanted some words in Ancient Greek, the gist of which I gathered to be "rise dead people and answer the call of your master's blood," the temperature dropped several degrees. Birds stopped chirping and insects ceased their buzzing. A chill ran down my spine and I could have sworn the shadows were creeping towards us. I hugged the Happy Meals tighter.

Nico gestured that I hand over the fast food. I did so reluctantly, and generously pitched in my own double-doubles (suddenly I wasn't feeling all that hungry) knowing that by doing so I was relinquishing my hold, however slight, on my only tie to the world of happiness. At least, for a short period of time.

My cousin took the boxes from me and without further ado, freed the food from its wrappings and without much ceremony tossed them into the depths of his surprisingly large hole. What he did next left me both surprised and with a higher respect for the son of Hades.

From seemingly nowhere, Nico pulled a six pack of coke. I stared, slack jawed. Of the many cool things I had seen during my career as a demigod, I had never witnessed anything quite so- useful. Immediately my mind was filled with potential uses for such a trick but before I could voice my thoughts to the son of Hades himself, the popped the tabs on all of them and poured the carbonated drinks into the pit.

The whole hole began to tremble slightly as the soda fizzed and boiled; defying rules of physics as it grew in volume. Nico had at this point picked up his chanting once more and finally, when the concoction of soggy burgers, fries and soda reached the rim of the pit, he stopped.

Everything grew still, and I found myself waiting with a baited breath for what I knew would occur.

It did.

From the shadows of tombstones, several wisps of gray mist with a vague humanoid shape crawled forth, and swept over to the edge of the pit, where one at a time they knelt and drank. As they did so, the apparitions' bodies' began to solidify. Well, as much as non-substantial body can. Finally, the last finished drinking, and straightened. As Nico began addressing the spirits, I took a brief moment to give them a once over.

There were three of them in total, two of whom were wearing a black military issue uniform. The third was a scientist judging by his pristine white lab coat.

"Milord, how can we be of service to you?" The first spirit, a man who appeared to be in his mid forties saluted. The other two, a man and a woman of similar age followed suit.

"I wish to inquire as to the events that occurred less than a week ago, resulting in your death."

The three spirits, though they retained their stiff posture, seemed to flinch and their misty eyes flickered uncertainly.

I recognized the look of one belonging those who are used to answering to a higher in command about top secret work. Nico must have recognized it as well, for he went on to remind them as nicely as he could that they were now under his father's domain and as such under his as well. To sum it up, he was now their superior and they would be answering to him.

This seemed to relax their minds a bit, if only slightly, but their stances did relax minutely.

"Very well. Where shall we begin, sir?" The first spirt asked.

"How about anything you witnessed out of place before your death?"

The first spirit, as I had deemed him, obviously went first as he appeared to be the unspoken leader of the group. However, he proved the most unfruitful. As it happened, he ironically was just a security guard. Apparently nothing had struck him as out of the ordinary, aside from the alarm signaling security breach and of course the earth quake which had caused his death.

The second was slightly more helpful. She also happened to be slightly more well versed than the first, and was able to inform us that an alien artifact containing a huge well of energy known as the tesseract was involved in the mess. She also gave us the name of the facility- P.E.G.A.S.U.S.

Nico saved me from the embarrassment of a random outburst on flying horses with the well timed death glare he sent my way.

The lady soldier went on to say that she was sorry but she had nothing else to offer save the rather gruesome one of her death. Oh. Sorry. Nico corrects me- she attempted to share but the contents of her death story were promising to be unsuitable for war-warn ears like mine own, so he had to cut her short.

Finally, it was from the third spirit- the scientist- that we gleaned the most information from.

"I.." He trailed off, looking a little rattled as he recalled his death experience. "I was one of the researchers working on the tesseract." His carefully held together emotionless mask shattered, and his face contorted itself, expressing the raw pain and horror he was reliving by re-accounting his story to us. I felt kind of guilty all of a sudden. Nico simply scowled deeper.

"I was downloading the data we collected from a series of tests run on the Tesseract in an attempt to determine how much energy it actually contains. We were so close to having it figured out. Then this- vortex opened, and a man wearing a gaudy green and gold armor of sorts with a horn-adorned helmet of sorts on his head stepped out wielding a sharp looking blue staff." The spirit frowned. "My memories get kind of fuzzy there on out. I think he shot some beams of light from his scepter and one of them hit me and then.. I found myself in a room with a bunch of see through people and there was this guy wearing a really expensive suit and-"

"Did you get a name?" Nico interrupted, obviously knowing the direction the conversation had been headed.

"Ummm..." The researcher thought for a moment. "I think his name was..Loki."

Nico nodded calmly and thanked the spirits before releasing them back to his father's domain. Almost immediately after he had done so, the cemetery reverted once more to its original state, save for the gigantic pit.

I turned to Nico questioningly. "So... What are you going to do about that?" I gestured at the hole.

"No need to worry about it. The mortals will just pass it off as a new grave site."

I blinked. "Ok." Time to change the subject. "So, any ideas on who this Loki guy is? Pretty ridiculous name if you ask me. And according to the researches description, he seems to have a pretty ridiculous getup to match. I mean, antlers? Who is this guy! The last part slipped out of my mouth before I could stop it. Great. I had only known Tony for a day, and already my uncle was influencing my speech. Mom was going to love that.

Nico raised an eyebrow at me. "In case you're forgetting, he's a murderer."

"Oh. Yeah." That had slipped my mind.

Nico's expression darkened before he continued. "Loki." He muttered, more to himself than me. "That name rings a bell."

I thought for a bit. Ability to use portals, magic scepter... Suddenly it clicked. "Say Nico, you don't reckon he's, you know, a god do you?" The name Loki itself made my thought a definite possibility. No normal person would go around naming their kids "low-key." Which triggered another question in my ADHD mind. He wasn't a 'low-key' guy- that much was obvious based on his attire and flashy entrance alone. So what was he the god of then? If of course he was a god. Which mind was pretty made up that he was.

Nico shook me out of my mile-a-minute musings. "Loki Loki Loki... Percy!" I jumped.

"Yeah?"

"You're a genius!"

"Me? No. Annabeth is though, and so is Tony.."

Nico, finally exhausted by my rambling interrupted, "Percy, I'm pretty sure Loki is a Norse god."

Well, shit.

**Disclaimer- If I didn't own Percy Jackson or the Avengers yesterday, when I was a penny richer, I don't own either today. Well, hello everyone. It's Monday. And Monday sucks. But reading doesn't! So here is a new chapter, and it's length looks promising. Or maybe not, as judging by the fact you are down here you've finished it already. Anyway, I kind of went out of cannon giving Nico that nifty little shadow trick of his (which Percy is quite jealous of) and hopefully you weren't to upset. Hope you liked it! **


	9. Nico Doesn't Know Much Norse Mythology

Chapter IX

Warning: a little bit of foul language. Mostly from Tony or Fury's mouth, though sometimes Percy has been known to let something slip. (thinking back to the ending of the last chapter…) Other than that, enjoy! and know this- I don't own The Avengers or Percy Jackson and the Olympians. Carrying on now….

Tony Stark didn't know exactly what he was signing up for when he agreed to join Nick Fury's "boy band." However, he did know he was expecting a bit more excitement than what he was currently experiencing on board the Helicarrier. He was currently sitting in the laboratory SHIELD had so 'generously' provided for him, more bored than he had been since Sally Jackson had returned into his life.

The billionaire rubbed his temples and stood, then headed off in a search for alcohol. It was fruitless however, and he returned to his lab some fifteen minutes later so that he could hack the mainframe and find out where Fury kept his liquor. He doubted how long a man of his status could possibly hold up sober. idly he wondered if perhaps the reason the director was so irritable half the time was because he was getting over a hangover. He chuckled lightly to himself as his fingers danced across the screens, typing codes to pass through SHIELD's state of the art fire walls, which he had just so happened to have been designed by him.

Five minutes later and still Tony was still struggling with his search. He should have found the stash by now! Groaning as he found himself in a section of the database containing the personal information of all the people who had been seen as a threat to the United States for the past 10 years, (goodness knows how he had gotten there of all places) he prepared to break through deeper into the database when a familiar name caught his eye.

"Why that-!" he exclaimed angered that Fury had the nerve to list his nephew as a possible terrorist threat. He had only blown up one arch! And was the most wanted person in the States for a while… he trailed off. But he knew Percy! He was just a kid, barely 16, and Tony had an inkling that he had already seen some bad stuff in his life. He didn't need SHIELD messing with his life! He opened the file, all ready to go marching into Fury's office to defend his nephew, not even stopping to ponder his sudden influx of paternal instinct that had not previously existed.

Fury was infuriated. Not only was he fresh out of vodka, but he had also just been alerted that Stark was once more digging through his files. Cursing both his alcohol deprivation and a certain billionaire who just happened to stick his nose where it didn't belong all too often, he stormed out of his office, slamming the door behind him and wincing as loud noise caused his head to pound. Damn his hangover. And himself for sinking to Stark's level and using alcohol as a stress reliever. He was a spy, Dammit! He was stronger than that. He scowled at his stupidity before channelling his self anger into a loud "STARK!"

A muffled squeak came from behind, and he turned to find one of the newer agents standing behind him, attempting to maintain a collected mask when it was obvious he was cowering at the Director's display of anger, although it was not directed at him.

"Agent Hill sent me with coffee for you, sir." His voice quivered, so slightly that Fury would have missed it had he not been trained to notice every little detail. He internally groaned. Agents these days were decidedly useless. He snatched the coffee from the man's hands, and strode off, a wave of relief washing over him as he sipped from the SHIELD seal embossed travel mug. Agent Hill. Now she was one agent who wasn't entirely incapable. Quite the opposite actually. He smiled lightly, before his mood was once more soured by the arrival of a very worked up billionaire. He groaned again, and thought to himself what a nice place Tahiti was.

"What the hell is this, Fury?!" Tony demanded, holding up the file on his nephew.

"Classified information that you should not be holding." Fury replied, schooling an indifferent look onto his face, while he lay in wait to discover just what had Stark so worked up.

Tony allowed a cocky grin to adorn his face for a brief second, contorted slightly by anger, acknowledging the Director's comment.

"Regarding my nephew? I'll have you know, Fury, I don't take kindly to people with biased, unsupported claims concerning my family." He allowed himself a self-satisfied smirk as a look of shock crossed Fury's face before it was quickly tucked behind the cool collected one-eyed mask. Apparently even the toughest of spies didn't know everything.

"Nephew?"

"Aha! So SHIELD really doesn't know everything about everyone!" Tony gloated, his attitude immediately shifting from anger to one of triumph. "I always knew you were human deep down! Although, your alcohol dependency was a hint."

Fury glared at Tony, somewhere deep down feeling slightly humiliated, though he would never admit it. "How'd you know about that?"

"Takes one to know one."

The coffee mug suddenly felt slightly heavier in Fury's hand. For the first time in ages realized that he was not controlling this talk, and he didn't like it. He thought fast, though it took him several seconds to put the pieces together and throw the conversation back on Stark, giving himself the upper hand.

Tony took the director's momentary lapse in silence as he had rendered him speechless and being the man he was gloated to himself, knowing full well the other man was uncomfortable with the direction of the conversation. In his moment of cockiness, his guard dropped and he unwittingly played directly into the director's hands.

"So you weren't hacking the data base to find out where liquor is stored on this ship?" Fury asked rather nonchalantly, knowing by the somewhat startled look that crossed Tony's face. He smirked internally. The tables had been shifted, and he was back on the offensive. Perfect.

"Hey, I'm a guy who needs his booze!" Tony said defensively, taking a subconscious step backwards. Fury didn't let the opportunity to further assert his power get away.

"And 'booze' relates to your nephew how? And since we are on this topic, just who is this nephew of yours and why are you so protective of him?" There. He had made his play. Knowing Tony was most likely uncomfortable that he had been caught in a position where he was actively seeking out alcohol, he would be putting up the most defense around that area and gladly accepted the provided escape route –his mysterious nephew-. Oh yes, Fury knew how the human mind worked.

"Well, I just met Percy two days ago-"The billionaire's eyes widened in realization that he was playing into the director's hands. Fury was grudgingly impressed. The man truly was a genius, though he was no match for his own interrogation skills. Fury sent him and interested look, which also managed to express that there would be consequences should the billionaire not come forth with his information and Stark finally caved. "Alright." He held his hands in a placating gesture. You win. Here's the short version- I discovered my dear long lost sister is alive and she has a son –coolest kid by the way, totally not the terrorist you seem to think he is based on that he may or may not have blown up the Saint Luis Arch. Totally awesome if you ask me, especially since no one was killed.-"a glare from Fury cut him off from his ramble.

"Anyway, I happened to be hacking the fire walls," he broke off and looked meaningfully at Fury, "Of a security system I designed," he paused again to let it sink it, which it didn't need to and Fury was already unamused, "and the name 'Jackson' caught my eye and low and behold, I found that you have a file on a 16 year old kid who has been living a life where he has obviously been through a lot already." He took a deep breath and leveled his gaze at Fury's eye, his own eyes filled with genuine honesty. "He's a good kid, Director. I assure you. There is something about him- I don't know how to explain it. He just makes you feel relaxed, and safe. He doesn't need SHIELD sticking their nose into his business."

Fury stared inquisitively at Stark. He had never seen him act like this, almost fatherly in defense towards a boy he had only known a day. Fury's brow furrowed in thought. After a few moments, he spoke, "I believe you."

Tony let out a sigh of relief.

"But that doesn't mean I don't want to know more about him." The Director took the file from Tony's hands before he could retaliate. "Good day, Stark." Fury turned on his heel and stalked off, ignoring the billionaire's protest.

Tony watched him go, and frowned. "Dammit!" he cursed to himself, before heading back to the lab. That had not gone how he had wanted it too. He wished more than ever that he could drink himself into oblivion.

"So do you know anything about Nordic gods?" I asked Nico. My younger cousin shook his head, almost sorrowfully.

"Not really. Although Hela did stop by my dad's palace once. She was kind of intimidating so I didn't stay long enough to meet her. I think she was looking for a soul that had come to my father's domain by mistake."

I thought for a moment before it struck me. "I bet Annabeth knows something about them."

Nico rolled his eyes. "Annabeth knows everything."

"Are you okay to shadow travel?" I eyed my cousin suspiciously. His skin was even paler than its usual pasty pallor, and he had circles under his eyes.

"I don't think one more trip would kill me. Just so long as there is a bed waiting for me at our destination."

"Great." I smiled. "I don't think Wise-Girl will mind if we stop by."

Nico nodded. "Just be prepared to be spending a while there." He grabbed my shoulders pulled me along with him into the shadow of a nearby dumpster.

**A:N Well, I decided to switch things up a bit this chapter. I thought it would be nice to see things from Tony's point of view, and subsequently ended up writing for Fury as well. I apologize for how much this chapter centered around alcohol- I am not a drinker and likewise I am not trying to promote drinking. However, it just kind of worked in for me as Tony's life does seem to contain a lot of 'booze.' And I figured Fury must get pretty stressed with his job so…. That brain child was born. I also apologize for this long overdue update. But I made this chapter longer! Thanks for reading, and Review are ALWAYS welcome. **

**Before I go, this is really random but it has been sitting with me for years. Has anyone else noticed that Rick Riordan changed Blackjack's gender between books 2 and 3? I have read all five books seven times, and my eyes are not deceiving me. He was quite clearly described as a mare in The Sea of Monsters when Percy freed him (or 'her' at the time) then miraculously changed genders and became Blackjack in The Titan's Curse. **

**Finally, Percy's POV was short this time, but will take up most if not all of chapter ten. **


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